CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(IMonograplis) 


ICiMH 

Collection  de 
microfiches 
(monographies) 


Canadian  Instituta  for  Historical  Microroproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductiont  hittoriquas 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best  original 
copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this  copy  which 
may  be  bibliographically  unique,  which  may  alter  any  of 
the  images  in  the  reproduction,  or  which  may 
significantly  change  the  usual  method  of  filming  are 
checited  below. 


0- 


Coloured  co^'ers  / 
Couverture  de  couleur 


□  Covers  damaged  / 
Couverture  endommagte 

□  Covers  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pellicul6e 

I        Cover  title  missing  /  Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

I I   Coloured  maps  /  Cartes  g^raphiques  en  couleur 

□   Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)  / 
Encre  de  couleur  (I.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

□   Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations  / 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

□   Bound  with  other  material  / 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Only  edition  available  / 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion  along 
interior  margin  / 1^  reliure  serrte  peut  causer  de 
I'ombre  ou  de  la  distorsion  le  long  de  la  marge 
int^rieure. 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restorations  may  appear 
within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these  have  been 
omitted  from  filming  /  Use  peut  que  certaines  pages 
blanches  ajoutdes  lors  d'une  restauration 
apparaissent  dans  le  texte,  mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait 
possible,  ces  pages  n'ont  pas  6X6  filmtes. 


D 
D 


D 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire  qu'il  lui  a 
«t«  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  dwells  de  cet  exem- 
plaire qui  sent  peut-4tre  unkjues  du  point  de  vue  bibli- 
ographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier  une  image  reproduite, 
ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modifk»tk>n  dans  la  metho- 
ds normale  de  filmage  sont  indk^ute  ci-dessous. 

I     I  Cotoured  pages/ Pages  de  couleur 

I I  Pages  damaged  /  Pages  endommag^es 


D 


Pages  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
Pages  restaurtes  et/ou  pellteul^s 


0  Pages  discotoured,  stained  or  foxed  / 
Pages  ddcolortes,  tachetdes  ou  piques 

\\y\  Pages  detached  /  Pages  d^tach^s 

\\y\  Showthrough/ Transparence 

r     I   Quality  of  print  varies  / 


D 
D 


D 


Oualitd  inhale  de  I'impresston 

includes  supplementary  material  / 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl6mentaire 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  enata  slips, 
tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to  ensure  the  best 
possible  image  /  Les  pages  totalement  ou 
partiellement  obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une 
pelure,  etc.,  ont  6t4  film^es  k  nouveau  de  iagon  k 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 

Opposing  pages  with  varying  colouration  or 
discolourations  are  filmed  twice  to  ensure  the  best 
possible  image  /  Les  pages  s'opposant  ayant  des 
colorations  variables  ou  des  decolorations  sont 
filmtes  deux  fois  afin  d'obtenir  la  meilleure  image 
possible. 


0- 


Additional  comments  / 
Commentaires  suppldmentaires: 


Pagination  Is  as  follom:  [313]-328. 


This  Kwn  is  fllmsd  «t  ttw  raduetion  ratio  ehaclisci  bolow  / 

Ca  doeumsnt  ast  film*  au  taux  do  rMuction  indiqu*  ci-dassous. 


lOx 

14x 

18x 

22x 

26x 

30x 

J 

tax 

Ita 

20x 

a4x 

28x 

32x 

TIM  eopy  fUm«d  h«r«  hM  bMn  raprody««d  ttiMikc 
to  ttM  gCMVotlty  of : 

National  Library  of  Canada 


Lasampiaira  fiim«  fut  raproduit  erica  A  la 
g«fl4roait*  da: 

Bibliothiqua  nationala  du  Canada 


Tha  ima«aa  appaaring  hara  wm  tha  baat  quality 
poaaikia  eonaidafine  tha  eondition  and  lagibilitv 
of  tha  eriflinal  eopy  and  In  kaaping  with  tha 
filmlne  contract  apadf icationa. 

Original  eopiaa  in  printod  paper  eovara  ara  fllmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  eowar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printed  or  illuatratad  leprae, 
alon.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  approprlata.  All 
othar  original  eopiaa  ara  fllmad  baginning  on  tha 
f  lr»t  paga  with  a  printad  or  Illuatratad  Impraa- 
•ion.  and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illuatratad  impraaaion. 


Tha  laat  racordad  frama  on  aach  microfiche 
•haU  contain  tha  symbol  — ^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  ▼  (moaning  "END  I. 
whichavar  appiiaa. 

Maps,  plataa.  charts,  ate.,  may  ba  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  comer,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bonom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Los  images  suivantes  ont  *tA  reproduitas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin.  compta  tenu  de  la  eondition  at 
do  la  netteta  de  roKompiaire  filma.  et  en 
eonformita  avac  lea  eonditiona  du  contrat  da 
fUmaga. 

Lee  eaemplalrae  eriglrwua  dont  la  couverture  an 
pepler  est  Imprimae  sent  fllmas  en  commencant 
per  le  premier  plot  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniare  page  qui  camporte  una  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  lo  caa.  Toua  lea  autrea  aaemplaires 
originaua  sent  filmda  en  commencant  par  la 
pramiare  page  qui  camporte  un^  empreinte 
d'impreaaion  ou  d'iUuatration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  damiare  paga  qui  comporta  une  telle 
ampralnta. 

Un  dee  symbolea  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
damiare  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  -»  signifie  "A  SUIVRE".  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  plonches.  ubleaux.  etc..  peuvent  itre 
fllmas  a  dee  taux  de  raduction  diffarents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  *tre 
reproduit  en  un  soul  cllcha.  il  est  filma  a  partir 
de  Tangle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  a  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas.  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imeges  ndcessaira.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthoda. 


1 

2 

3 

6 


"KMOcon  mouinoN  rasr  atun 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  GHAUT  No.  2) 


/APPLIED  IM/ff?;F= 


16SJ  East  Mom  StrMt 
Roch«tt«r.   New  York        UfiOo       hca 
(716)   482 -0300- Phoi!.  "^ 

C7'6)  2Ba- 5989 -Fox 


■pipplppiiHf 


7 


RESTRICTIONS  ON  THE  USE  OP 
HISTORICAL  MATERIALS 


LAWRENCE  J.  BURPEE 


RApriiilotI  from  t]i«  Annual  Report  of  Ihn  Amorit'aii  Iliiitoriral  Aiwociatioa 
for  1»14,  ViJumn  I,  i>ut;>-ii  314  :'.28 


^ 


WABBmOTON 


;V>A- 


RESTRICTIONS  ON  T    J  USE  OF 
HISTORICAL  MATERIALS 


BT 


LAWRENCE  J.  BURPEE 


Reprinted  from  the  Annual  Report  of  the  American  Historical  Anodatioi 
for  1914,  Volume  I,  pages  314-328 


WASHINGTON 

ino 


RcSTRICnONIt  ON  THE  U«B  OF  HISTORICAL  MAT£KIAt8. 
Bjr  Lawuncb  J.  BuBpn. 

At  first  sig^t  it  mi^t  seem  that  the  subject  we  have  before  us 
offered  little  opportunity  f  •  profitable  discuasion ;  that  there  could 
be,  at  the  most,  but  two  points  of  view— th.tt  of  the  cuntodian,  put- 
ting preservation  before  use,  and  that  of  the  student,  putting  use 
before  preservation.  If  one  were  inclined  to  be  flippan  ,  the  case 
might  be  stated  as  Man  v.  Manuscript.  The  more  one  considers  the 
problem,  however,  the  more  angles  it  presents,  and  the  mor«  in- 
volved become  the  relations  of  custodian  and  student  to  the  docu- 
ment, to  each  oti>er,  and  to  the  public.  We  are  to  discuss  some  of  the 
phases  of  this  many-sided  question,  and  as  the  duty  has  been  put 
upon  me  of  opening  the  debate,  I  shall  try  to  be  as  brief  and  judicial 
as  the  circumstances  will  permit. 

For  our  present  purposes  the  definition  of  historical  materials 
may  be  confined  mainly  to  manuscript  sources,  though  the  question 
of  restriction  might  also  be  applied  to  rare  printed  books.  Our 
problem,  then,  is  how  and  to  what  extent  should  manuscript  material 
be  made  accessible  to  students?  It  will  be  seen  at  once  that  any 
consideration  of  the  question,  to  be  satisfactory,  must  embrace  not 
only  restrictions  on,  but  also  facilities  for,  historical  research. 
Broadly  speaking,  each  is  complementary  to  the  other. 

To  get  to  the  bottom  of  the  matter,  what  is  the  primary  object  of 
archives  ?  The  answer  to  the  question  depends,  no  doubt,  a  good  deal 
upon  circumstances.  "Preservation  of  documents,"  says  one  au- 
thority,* "  should  be  the  first  end  to  be  attained."  «« It  must  be  borne 
in  mind,"  says  another,^  "  that  to  supply  historical  sources  to  the 
investigator  is  not  the  principal  function,  although  an  important 

>  CtaarlPB  M.  Andrews.  Lesiioni  of  the  Brtttah  ArebiTea.  in  Americao  Historical  Aaaoetii- 
tloa.    Abb.  Sep.,  1»0»,  860.  '^—ocm 

»  Waldo  O.  Leiand,  Amerleaa  AreklTal  Problems,  Ibid.,  84T. 
314 


I 


oownBvoi  09  BnraiioAL 


815 


OM,  of  ftrduT*  depontoriM."  Om  krg*  library'  Uyt  down  tht 
principl*  that  **  th«  manuieript  division  hu  been  astablishsd  for  pur- 
poMt  of  reference  and  rewarch;"  and  another*  puta  it  thia  way: 
"Manuaeripti  and  manuacript  oollectiona  ahoold  be  oonaider«d  flnl 
an  to  preservation,  second  as  to  uae.  Preeervation  neceaurily  pre- 
cedes use  and  largely  determines  and  governs  it,  though  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  a  manuscript  withheld  from  consultation  migu. 
almost  as  well  be  noDezistent.**  In  theory  at  least  there  is  no  very 
serious  difference  of  pir.  on  as  to  the  primary  object  of  archives. 
In  practice,  one  finds  every  conceivable  variation  from  the  practically 
total  exclusion  of  the  student  to  an  almost  reckless  freedom  of  aooe« 
and  circulation.  Nevertheless,  the  extremes  of  policy  are  compara- 
tively rare,  and  there  is  an  increasing  tendency  to  find  a  mean  that 
will  meet  all  the  legitimate  needs  of  research  workers  wiUiout  sacri- 
ficing the  essential  safeguarding  of  the  documents. 

The  following  replies  from  a  number  of  representative  institutions 
in  the  United  States  and  Canada  bear  out  the  above  statement: 
Connoctlcnt  State  Library : 

We  ahould  encoorage  the  um  of  manuacrtpt  material  by  all  competent  to 

uae  It  to  adTantage  for  tbe  public  good. 
Maamichuaetta  State  Library: 

I  think  In  tbia  age  of  general  knowledge  and  reaearch  the  greatest  freedom 

should  be  given  In  tbe  uae  of  historical  materials  In  tbe  posseaslon  of  an 

historical  aociety  or  archives  bureau. 
Pennsylvania  State  Library: 

My  Invariable  rule  has  been  to  furnish  all  the  Information  possible  to  each 

stuient  making  a  request  for  original  material. 
Iowa  State  Library : 

A  hlstori'ml  society  or  archives  bureau,  when  supported  by  the  State,  should 

allow        fullest  liberty  to  all  who  have  a  serious  purpose  either  to  copy 

or  t        jtograph  the  msterlal  In  Its  possesaion.    I  can  aee  no  Justice  In 

depriving  any  citizen  of  ttw  State  of  opportunity  to  uae  material  collected 

by  the  btate  at  the  taxpayers'  expense. 
California  State  Library : 

Our  plan  in  regard  to  historical  material  Is  to  permit  the  freest  consultation 

commensurate  with  tlie  safety  and  preservation  of  the  naterlai. 
State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin : 

Our  paat  and  present  policy  favora  the  broadest  and  freest  possible  use  of 

our  historical  materials. 
Michigan  Historical  Commission: 

My  experience  leads  to  the  firm  belief  that  all  archives  should  be  made 

accessible  to  i    y  student  or  society  either  to  copy  or  to  photograph. 
South  Dalcota  Department  of  History : 

I  have  conceived  tliat  ox-  missk>n  Is  to  give  the  widest  extension  to  the 

knowledge  and  use  of    ne  materials  of  history,  and  that  In  consequence 

everything  we  have  and  every  service  In  our  power  have  been  at  all  times 

placed  at  the  use  of  the  public 


•New  York  Pnbllc  Ubrtry,  BbIm  of  the  HaniiMript  INtMob. 

•J.  C.  FlUpatrick,  Notck  on  tkt  Car*.  Catalogalng.  Calendaring,  and  Arranging  of 
Manuicrlpta  (Library  ot  Congreaa).  1013,  p.  B. 


•u 


MMnaoAM  ar. 


.UAL  AilOOUTIOII. 


»t  of  AKklvH  MMi  HMory: 
TIM  practlct  km  bM  bMB  to  •Mow  Um  bmmI  Htaral  m  off  o«r  mUm  col. 
Itctlow,  vlibw  urlntatf  or  In  nwnttacrtiit 
■iMorlcal  SodMjr  of  IVouDrlvinlo : 

lo  m  opinion  nil  tho  ITnltod  Stntcn.  t    jt,  nnd  Mm  nrchlTM  ■bouM  to 
mndo  acrwilMt  to  nil  pmona  eniagMl  In  gmaino  htotorkwl  namreii. 
HMorlcnl  ■oclotiM  nnd  imbllc  llbrnriM  whleb  raotlvo  Itoto  nid  ahould 
niao  com*  uodor  this  cina. 
Bnrrnrd  Unlrmit/: 

Whwi  pniwr*  hnrt  bMonw  hlntortcnl  docwaonU  I  tollovo  Umt  n  library  or 
aoclrty  lOtould  pwmit  Iho  frooot  nan  of  them  to  aarioiM-mlndod  atudonta. 
Tboir  uao  aa  blatorlnil  aoorcaa  abould  not.  It  awna  to  mo.  bo  "onanad 
to  Banbora  of  tho  aodcty  that  owna  tbon  or  to  atndanto  worklni  la 
tbnt  partlcvlnr  »'  nry. 
Tnio  CnlToraltjr: 

It  la  njr  policy  aa  librarian  to  rogard  njraalf  aa  eoatodinn  of  tho  mnnn- 
acrlpta  and  othor  troaaufoa  In  my  chargo  for  tho  bonoflt  of  oualllM  uaon. 
frlaeoton  Unlroraltj: 

No  rootrtctlon  ahonld  to  placad  on  tto  llborty  of  sao  of  mnnaaerlpta,  aavn 
aoth  aa  prorldo  for  tto  proper  preaar ration  of  tto  manoaerlpt  Itaolf.  All 
M  (hneaa  in  tbo  wny  of  n>tierTlng  thlnga  ft>r  IndlTldnala,  ftor  Inatltn- 
tlo-  ao  ttot  ttoy  may  tore  tto  nciualTo  or  prima  glory  la  contrary  to 
tto  aplrit  fbr  which  inatltnUona  aro  fonndod  nnd  to  tto  oaaeneo  of  tto 
Man  of  acholarahlp. 
UBivaralty  of  Illlnola: 

Blatortcat  material  ahoald  to  opan  ft>r  oaa  and  copying  ao  loBg  aa  tto 
original  la  not  damagod.  «-■  ■■  »no 

Voronto  Unlreralty: 

Our  principle  la  to  allow  tto  freeat  poaaiblo  uaa  of  htatoricnl  material  con- 
•latent  with  Ite  aafegnardlng. 
McGill  Unlreralty,  Montreal: 

LlbrarleH.  notletles.  archlvca.  etc..  ahoald  regard  tto  book*,  records  and 
manuscripts  which  they  possess  In  the  light  of  a  trust  which  they  hold 
not  for  their  own  u'j  or  benefit,  not  alone  for  tto  use  or  convenience  of 
their  own  immediate  conRtltnents.  but  for  tto  benefit  of  ail  persons 
wto  are  qualified  to  use  them  with  advantage  to  themselves  or  to  the 
world  a*  large.  On  the  ..ther  hand,  the  Inntltutlons.  being  trustees,  niuxt 
take  all  reasonable  precautions  against  damage  to  or  loss  of  the  proo- 
erty  they  hold  in  trust. 
Queen's  University.  Kingston,  Ontario: 

I  feel   very  strongly   that   hlsorical   societies  and  bureaus  of  archives 
should  as  freely  as  possi" '      i.ow  other  institutions  to  make  copies  of 
the  materials  In  the..-  possession.    Tto  materials  exist  for  the  use  of 
historians,  and  the  more  widely  they  are  made  use  of  the  better 
New  York  Public  Library : 

I  agree  with  Mr.  J.  C.  Fltspotrick  that  "Manuscripts  and  manuscript  col- 
!«rtions  should  be  considered  first  as  to  preservation,  second  as  to  use  " 
This  Is  the  kernel  of  the  whole  matter,  whether  applied  to  manuscripts 
or  rare  and  costly  printed  works.  This  principle  carries  with  It  respeC 
for  to^lay.  to-morrow,  and  generations  yet  to  be.  It  does  not  deprive 
tto  present-day  Investigator  of  any  legitimate  use.  and  it  also  pww  ves 
tto  originals  with  a  ploua  regard  for  the  rights  of  tto  acholurs  of  the 
future. 


OOJirMUIMOB  Of  BmoUOAL  lOOllTIM. 


817 


■ 


AKmo  PuMk  UbfMT: 

Wt  Ml*T«  la  th*  wMm  litarty  ud  teutvd*  to  ■totfrniti  coiulitMt  wttk 
tiM  MfwunllBt  of  tiM  aatarlMlt  eonnittd. 
Ntwbwry  Ubnurjr,  Oblcafo: 

I  Ml*v«  that  lo  BMMral.  hMortcal  lortotlM  aad  areblvM  baraaas  liiottM 
bt  moat  fMMToga  In  iraDtIng  pcnalMlon  to  other  Inatitutiooa  or  to  ladl- 
Tldaala  to  mako  copiM  of  the  matartal  la  tlwlr  pooMmloo. 

Having  gained  aome  light  on  tha  ganaral  practice  aa  to  the  oie  of 
hiatorical  inateriala  in  public  inititutiona,  let  ua  go  a  little  mure  into 
dftail.  With  a  few  exceptiona,  the  conoenaua  of  opinion  ia  that 
rvaeareh  workera  aliould  have  the  freeat  acceaa  to  and  iim  of  hiatorical 
niBteriala  conaiitent  with  their  preaervation.  The  character  of  theae 
materiala,  however,  makea  imperative  eome  reatrictiona  in  their  ui  . 
Principlea  of  acceaa  and  circulation  that  are  juatifiable  and  praii 
worthy  iti  tho  case  of  hooka  may  be  more  than  questionable  in  th« 
uae  of  mnnuscripta  A  book  destroyed  or  damaged  m-y,  aa  a  general 
rule,  be  replaced,  ."he  loaa  of  a  manuscript,  if  no  copy  exists,  ia 
irreparable. 

Let  me  itate,  then,  aome  of  the  queetiona  that  suggest  thcinselvef 
in  connection  with  the  general  subject  of  restriction : 

To  what  extent  ahould  an  institution  possessing  valuable  histori- 
cal material  allow  other  institutions  or  individuals  to  make  copies? 

Should  such  material  be  loaned  for  uae  in  anothcT  institution, 
either  in  the  same  city  or  farther  afield? 

Is  it  justifiable  to  refuse  access  to  do.'^umpnts  in  course  of  publica- 
tion, or  whose  publication  has  been  dec  ded  upon,  or  which  nmy  be 
published  by  tha  institution  possessing  the  dw  »ei.;js,  or  by  some 
individual  acting  under  ita  authority? 

Should  the  use  of  public  documents  be  refuses  on  or  before  a  cer- 
tain date,  or  of  private  documents  of  a  cp-fidential  nature? 

What  restrictions  sht'uld  be  placed  u.  n  the  liberty  of  student! 
desiring  to  consult  manuscrip:  oi  other  ma^^rial? 

Should  they  be  subjected  to  ut^ersight  ir  malting  copies  or  tracings 
of  material  ? 

Should  they  be  required  to  submit  their  notes  to  an  at  cnrliint  ? 

Should  their  work  be  subjected  to  censorship  or  should  thov  be 
left  to  their  own  judgment  as  to  the  character  eid  extent  of  their 
extracts? 

What  credentials  should  a  reseach  worker  be  required  to  submit? 

Should  there  be  an  age  limit? 

Is  the  custodian  entitled  to  know  the  purpose  for  which  copies 
are  made;  is  he  justified  in  refusing  permission  if  the  proposed  use 
seems  trivial  or  undesirable;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  is  he  entitled  to 
grant  exclusive  use  of  certain  material? 

Should  there  be  any  limitation  of  the  number  of  manuscripts  or 
volumes  used  by  a  student  at  one  time? 


818 


AMBUOAV  HWTOBICAL  ABSOOUnOH. 


Wlut  houn  should  be  avaiUble  for  naearch  work? 
What  facilities  should  be  provided,  research  rooms,  suiUble  tables. 
Mcquate  lifting,  etc.!  ^ 

What  aids  should  be  avaUable,  calendars,  indexes,  classification, 
gnides,  etc.?  ' 

Should  an  archives  bureau  contain  a  coUection  of  books  of  refer- 
ence  for  the  use  of  the  research  worker? 

What  implements  are  permissible  in  the  copying  of  manuscripts 
or  rare  books:  Pencil,  pen  and  ink,  fountain  pen,  typewriter,  or 
photostat? 

Should  tracing  be  permitted,  with  or  without  supervisiwi? 

Should  the  institution  be  equipped  with  a  photostat? 

Should  one  institution  pennit  another  to  make  photostat  or  other 
copies  of  its  material,  or  should  it  exchange  copies  of  material? 

Taking  these  points  in  the  order  mentioned,  it  may  be  helpful  to 
bring  together  a  few  notes  based  on  the  experience  of  representative 
men  and  mstitutions  both  in  Europe  and  America.  No  attempt  has 
been  made  to  get  the  views  of  all  the  principal  archivists  and  Ubra- 
nana  of  the  two  continents,  but  perhaps  sufficient  information  is 
available  to  show  the  drift  of  opinion  based  on  more  or  less  varied 
experience. 

First  as  to  cooperation  with  other  institutions  or  individuals.  The 
chief  of  the  Manuscripts  Division  of  the  Library  of  Congress  writes: 

Complete  cooperation  between  manuscript  depositories  can  only  be  accom- 
pllshed  by  complete  confidence;  and  In  order  that  they  may  serve  the  full 
measure  of  their  usefulness  and  purpowj,  they  should  do  nnto  other  depositories 
as  they  would  have  other  depositories  do  unto  them.  Unless  manuscripts  have 
been  deposited  In  this  library  under  restrictions  by  the  donor,  the  library  allows 
other  InsUtutlons  to  take  copies  for  their  own  use  freely.  As  a  concrete  In- 
stance, however.  It  may  be  mentioned  that  when  an  Institution  desired  that 
several  copies  might  be  made  of  a  valuable  manuscript.  In  order  that  it  might 
exchange  some  of  them  with  other  Institutions,  the  library  felt  constrained  to 
decline  to  permit  Its  possessions  to  be  converted  into  laerchantable  material  by 
another  Institution.  When  copies  are  made  for  another  Institution,  no  restric- 
tion Is  placed  upon  their  use  by  that  other  Institution. 

The  Dominion  Archivist  at  Ottawa  states  that  it  has  been  his 
policy  from  the  beginning  to  cooperate  with  the  Provincial  Archives, 
and  other  similar  institutions  in  Canada  and  elsewhere,  by  exchang- 
ing copies  of  manuscripts.  His  only  objection  is  that  hitherto  the 
balance  of  trade  has  been  very  much  against  his  own  institution.  A 
great  deal  has  gone  out,  but  very  little  has  come  in.  Individuals  are 
given  every  possible  facility  for  research  in  the  thoroughly  equipped 
building  at  Ottawa.    The  State  librarian  of  Massachusetts  saysT 

We  are  always  glad  to  have  Individuals  or  Institutions  make  copies  either  by 
photostat  or  typewriter  or  in  longhand  of  rare  laws,  and  the  same  Is  true  of 
the  manuscripts  in  the  archives  department    I  feel  that  all  the  material  we 


oovnuKOB  OF  HI8I0BICAL  Boomm. 


S19 


poMoa  at  tout  la  of  a  public  natnra,  and  that  wa  bave  no  right  to  rwtrlct  Ita 
oae  any  raore  than  may  be  poatUvely  neceaaary.  TAe  /oc«  that  U  U  pAoto- 
grvphed  or  eopled  Hnply  givti  it  larger  pMMteily. 

Let  me  draw  your  attention  particularly  to  this  last  point,  which 
we  will  come  back  to  later.  The  superintendent  of  the  State  His- 
torical Society  of  Wisconsin  writes: 

May  I  ansgeat  that  hlatorical  materiala  pw^erly  belong  to  aodety,  rather  than 
to  the  InstltuUon  or  the  Indivldoal  who  may  have  a  legal  title  to  them  Tto 
the  extent  that  the  public  may  properly  claim  a  greater  Intereat  in  the  affalra 
Ot  insUtuttona  than  of  Indivlduala,  it  seema  to  me  that  the  prtlcy  of  aeaUng 
hlatorical  materiala  against  the  acholarly  world  Is  more  reprehensible  In  the 
case  of  the  former  than  the  latter. 

Many  of  you  are  no  doubt  familiar  with  the  very  generous  policy 
of  cooperation  carried  out  by  this  society  under  the  direction  of 
the  late  Dr.  Thwaites.  It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  his  successor 
possesses  the  same  broad  ideals.  The  Historical  Department  of 
Iowa  has  adopted  substantially  the  same  policy  as  that  of  the  Wis- 
consin Historical  Society.  The  curator,  referring  to  the  accumula- 
titm  of  private  papers,  makes  the  following  interesting  suggestion : 

Aa  this  sort  of  material  comes  out  of  the  repoaltories  of  buaineaa  men. 
literary  men,  soldiera,  politicians  and  othera.  aome  connected  with  other  Oov- 
ernments  and  other  States,  and  not  connected  with  Iowa  itaelf,  I  propose  the 
eventual  exchange  of  such  materiala  so  that  they  will  finally  find  a  resUng 
place  in  the  region  to  which  they  properly  belong. 

Prof.  C.  W.  Alvord  of  the  University  of  Illinois,  writes: 
The  disasters  that  historical  manuscripts  have  suffered  by  Are  in  recent 
years  is  a  aufflcient  excuae  for  rq>roduclng  all  important  manuscripte  as 
many  times  aa  possible  and  scattering  them  all  over  the  country. 

The  librarian  of  Princeton  University  says: 

I  believe  that  in  the  fullest  manner  consistent  with  the  means  of  the  library 
photostat  copies  of  all  Important  manuscripts  in  any  collection  should  be  made 
by  the  library  owning  the  manuscript,  when  requested  by  other  Ubrarlee. 
and  loaned  to  these  libraries,  the  idea  being  to  form  a  lending  collection  of 
facsimiles  of  one's  own  manuscripts.  At  all  events,  I  believe  that  the  having 
photostat  copies  of  one's  manuscripts  made  at  the  expenae  of  other  libraries 
which  will  keep  these  copies  for  use  should  be  encouraged  as  much  as  pos- 
sible aa  a  precaution  against  the  destrucUon  of  the  origlnala  in  any  way 
The  Vatican  Library  makes,  I  believe,  this  the  only  condition,  1.  e.,  that  we 
ahall  keep  the  photographic  copy  that  we  have  made  open  for  free  accesa  of 
Bcholara. 

The  associate  director  of  the  University  of  Chicago,  in  commend- 
ing the  same  principle  of  cooperation,  says: 

I  should  like  to  see  American  libraries  and  inatltutlona  show  the  same 
generosity  in  this  respect  aa  noma  of  the  foreign  InaUtutions.  notably  tha 
German. 


820 


AMBMOAir  BUTOBIOAL  ASMOUnOH. 


The  librarian  of  McOiU  Uniydrrity  layi: 

UaterUl  ahould  be  lent  u  a  rule  not  to  Indlvidnala  bat  to  other  inatitutiona 
tor  ow  by  Indlvldaala.  The  lender  may  reaaonably  atlpulate  that  the  material 
lent  Bhall  only  be  oaed  within  the  walla  at  the  borrowing  inatltuUon.  In  the 
caae  of  very  rare  materlala  a  photoaUt  or  camwagraph  reproduction  mlcht 
reaaonably  be  aubatltuted  tor  the  orlslnaL 

The  only  stipulation  suggested  in  aUowing  other  institutions  the 
privilege  of  obtaining  facsimile  or  other  copies  of  material  for  their 
own  archives  or  for  the  use  of  students,  is  that  copies  from  the  copy 
should  not  be  made  without  permission  from  the  institution  possess- 
ing the  original,  and  that  authors  using  or  citing  a  copied  document 
should  mention  the  original  institution.  The  librarian  of  the  Uni- 
versity  of  Toronto  writes: 

We  send  our  material  freely  for  the  use  of  bona  fide  atudenU  and  scholara. 
but  always  to  some  responsible  Institution,  such  as  a  library,  under  whose 
superintendence  the  reader  consulu  the  book  or  manuscript.  The  rUk  of  losa 
In  transit  can  not  be  ove'  /.me,  and  In  common  with  other  libraries  In  the 
United  States  and  Canada  we  take  that  risk. 

The  chief  of  the  division  of  American  history  in  the  New  York 
Public  Library  writes: 

Closer  cooperation  between  historical  societies  and  other  similar  InsUtu- 
tions  In  photostat  or  transcript  interchanges  of  material  would  remove  some  of 
the  difflcultles  that  now  stand  In  the  way  of  historical  research.  I  think  It 
desirable  that  this  question  should  be  treated  in  as  liberal  a  spirit  as  possible 
for  the  mutual  benefit  of  all. 

The  director  of  the  library  adds : 

We  have  recently  agreed  to  lend  some  manuscripts  pertaining  to  Massachu- 
setts  to  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society  for  photostat  reproduction  We 
shall  probably  borrow  from  them  New  York  manuscripts  for  photostat  repro- 
duction here.  I  hope  this  is  merely  a  beginning  of  an  exchange  of  courtesle. 
of  this  sort  between  libraries.  Personally  I  believe,  as  Mr.  Worthington  O 
Ford  does,  that  the  photostat  process  has  made  the  facsimile  reproduction  of 
manuscripts  so  cheap  and  easy  that  there  Is  no  reason  why  such  interchamrea 
as  I  have  mentioned  should  not  be  made. 

That  there  is  perhaps  another  side  to  the  question  has  already  been 
suggested  by  Mr.  Gaillard  Hunt,  of  the  Library  of  Congress  or 
perhaps  it  would  be  more  exact  to  say  that  there  is  a  possibility  of 
an  institution's  generosity  being  imposed  upon.  The  librarian  of  the 
John  Crerar  Library  of  Chicago  enlarges  upon  the  same  point: 

Uans  for  use  outside  the  library  are  in  a  very  different  position  from  access 
within  it.  Here  I  see  many  objections  to  a  too  generous  policy.  Thta  mlaht 
result  in  a  library  being  called  upon  unnecessarily  and  even  unfairly  One 
eastern  university  has  complained  that  another  gives  a  course  In  a  special  field 
or  on  a  special  era  and  then  meets  the  needs  of  its  students  for  matertal  by 
wholesale  borrowing  from  its  neighbors.  "«>i«a^uii  oy 


I 


OOlTFBBEirOB  OV  HIBTOBIOAL  S00IETIE8. 


881 


t 


i 


; 


A  few  words  will  suiSce  as  to  the  experience  in  Europe.  Prof.  Wil- 
liam I.  Hull,  writing  on  the  "  Lessons  of  the  Dutch  Archives,"  *  says: 

National  and  local,  public  and  private  co(q;ieratlon  la  Illustrated  In  many 
waya.  For  example,  the  national  archlTtat  haa  recently  aecuretl  318  marln* 
mapa  in  manuscript  for  the  splendid  collection  of  maps  in  the  library  of  ttaa 
University  of  Leiden.  He  haa  also  supplied  to  Dutch  .-olonists  in  Surinam  and 
elsewhere  copies  of  archives  in  which  they  were  specially  Intorwted:  he  haa 
tnedinte«l  between  various  towns  and  brought  about  mutually  advantageoua 
exchanges  of  documentary  materials;  his  spedalisU  have  deciphered  the  moat 
difficult  manuscripts,  restored  and  mounted  those  most  abused,  and  catalogued 
the  most  Important  new  discoveries  In  the  possession  of  province  or  town. 

Dr.  Amandus  Johnson  has  this  to  say  of  the  Swedish  archives:* 
Records  nre  loaned  to  libraries  and  other  archives  all  over  the  Kingdom.  If 
an  Investigator  finds  It  more  convenient  to  work  In  the  Royal  Library,  or  any 
other  library,  he  can  get  the  particular  documento  he  needs  for  his  investigation 
brought  to  his  desk  without  charge  from  the  Royal  Archives  or  from  any  ilbrarf 
or  archives  in  the  country  by  applying  to  the  officer  at  the  head  of  the  manu- 
script  department  in  the  InstituUon  in  which  he  worka.  In  this  manner  doco- 
ments  are  even  sent  to  foreign  countriea.  The  convenience  of  this  syatem  la 
evident. 

Dr.  Johnson  is  at  the  same  time  evidently  conscious  that  such  lib- 
erality is  not  entirely  without  its  disadvantages,  for  he  adds  some- 
what ruefully  in  a  footnote: 

In  the  spring  of  1909,  when  the  writer  was  completing  his  Investigations  in 
Sweden  on  the  History  of  New  Sweden,  he  desired  to  reexamine  certain  Ussellnz 
letters,  but  the  letters  were  at  Utrecht  to  be  copied. 

The  next  point  is  as  to  restrictions  on  account  of  publication.  Dr. 
John  W.  Jordan  writes : 

Since  I  have  become  librarian  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania  then 
la  but  one  aet  of  papers  withheld  from  the  public— that  is,  the  Wayne  paper*— 
and  this  is  because  the  society  intends  to  print  them. 

The  librarian  of  Harvard  University  says : 

Perhaps  the  only  restriction  on  the  use  of  historical  documents  should  be 
when  the  society  intenda  to  print  documents  In  extenso  itself.  Even  then  I 
see  no  objection  to  having  copies  or  photographs  made  for  other  societies,  with 
the  provision  that  the  papers  should  not  be  printed  as  a  whole. 

Mr.  M.  M.  Quaife,  of  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin, 
writes: 

The  one  restriction  which  I  am  disposed  to  make  upon  the  use,  by  atudents 
and  other  institutions,  of  our  manuscripts  is  this:  Our  own  society  has  a 
research  and  publication  bureau,  and  In  connection  therewith  has  plans,  of 
course,  for  future  work.  I  am  disposed  to  reserve,  therefore,  for  publication 
by  ourselves  such  manuscripts  as  we  have  formulated  plans  for  bringing  out 
in  the  near  future.    I  think  there  is  a  clear  and  Just  distinction  between  this 


•Amerieu  HUtorieal  Anoelation.  Aaa.  Bept,  1909,  86S. 
•n>ld.,  8«T. 


80000°— 16 ^21 


822 


AinnaoAv  histobioal  AssoounoH. 


rcMrratlon  and  the  policy  irarmMd  bjr  ■ohm  inrtltutloiw  of  monopoliiini  U»> 
torlcal  material  which  vmj  have  come  Into  their  poMMaion,  bat  which  they 
are  either  unable  or  undealrona  to  pobllah. 

The  State  librarian  of  PennsylTania,  Mr.  T.  L.  Montgomery, 
writes: 

I  ahonld  think  It  perfectly  right  to  withhold  nwterlal  that  waa  in  the  prooM 
of  publication. 

Mr.  Montgomery  raises  another  point  worth  ocmsidering: 

I  have  had  to  deal  [he  aaya]  with  a  great  many  hlatoriana,  in  the  limited 
sense  of  the  term,  who  delighted  in  holding  material  until  some  publication 
had  come  out,  in  order  to  prove  how  radically  wrong  the  other  was.  Thia 
kind  of  parasite  aometimes  obtains  a  poaltlon  In  a  public  office.  Death  and 
inflection  are  accomplishing  a  great  deal  of  good  in  this  direction,  but  some  of 
them  seem  to  have  lived  on  preservatives. 

Another  point  is  suggested  by  Mr.  F.  K.  W.  Drury,  of  the  library 
of  the  Univernty  of  Illinois,  as  to  restriction  <m  material  owned  by  a 
society  or  university  upon  which  its  own  researches  are  being  carried 
on.  Is  temporary  restriction  justifiable  in  such  a  case?  The  story 
is  told  of  a  certain  professor  of  American  history  who  was  refused 
access  to  a  famous  collection  in  another  university  relating  to  his 
subject  that,  as  the  only  way  out  of  the  difficulty,  he  finally  joined 
the  faculty  of  the  offending  institution.  That  does  seem  rather  a 
desperate  remedy. 

It  is  also  related  of  an  institution  not  so  very  far  from  Chicago  that 
it  would  only  consent  to  the  use  of  certain  indispensable  material 
in  its  possession  on  condition  that  the  historian  should  submit  to 
having  his  book  brought  out  under  their  control.  In  another  case 
an  investigator  asked  permission  to  make  photostat  copies  of  cer- 
tain copies  of  documents  the  originals  of  which  had  apparently  been 
lost.    No  answer  was  ever  made  to  his  request. 

While  we  are  talking  scandal  one  or  two  other  instances  may  as 
well  be  given.  A  certain  eastern  authority  was  asked  to  go  to  a 
western  institution  to  report  upon  a  very  valuable  collection  of 
manuscripts.  He  did  so,  and  it  is  understood  that  his  report  was  a 
factor  of  some  importance  in  the  acquisition  of  the  material.  Later 
he  sent  one  of  his  assistants  to  look  up  certain  points  in  the  col- 
lection. The  assistant  was  allowed  to  see  but  a  small  portion  of  the 
material  and  was  refused  permission  to  copy  anythinjo:  whatever. 
The  institution  had  adopted  the  policy  of  refusing  to  all  students 
the  use  of  this  material  because  there  was  a  possibility  Uiat  at  some 
future  time  it  might  wish  to  publish  some  portion  of  it 

Another  anecdote ;  this  time  at  the  expense  of  an  eastern  instita> 
tion.  The  victim  relates  that  he  visited  a  certain  city  on  the  At- 
lantic seaboard  to  consult  a  newly  discovered  historical  journal  in 
which  he  was  deeply  interested.     He  found  it  in  a  well-known 


COKFEnEMCB  OF  HISTORICAL  SOCIETIES. 


888 


" 


J 


library.  The  custodian  of  the  manuscript  courteously  consented  to 
let  him  see  it,  had  it  Lrought  to  his  own  desk,  pulled  out  the  sliding 
shelf,  placed  the  manuscript  thereon,  and  permitted  the  expert  to 
turn  over  the  pages  while  he  kept  a  watchful  eye  <»  man  and 
manusci.pt 

One  more  story,  lest  it  be  supposed  that  this  sort  of  thing  is  pecu- 
liar to  America.  The  Dominion  axhivist  was  very  anxiou«  a  few 
years  ago  to  obtain  copies  of  certain  documents  re 'i  ting  to  the  early 
history  of  Canada  in  the  French  department  of  foreign  affairs.  He 
went  to  Paris  and  after  being  politely  referred  to  one  official  after 
another  and  wasting  several  days,  finally  gave  up  the  attempt  and 
returned  home.  Some  weekb  later  a  permit  arrived  in  Ottawa  con- 
veying the  necessary  permission  to  the  archivist  to  make  the  copies. 
He  joyfully  sent  it  over  to  a  trusted  copyist  in  Paris.  The  latter 
todk  it  to  the  department  of  foreign  affairs  and  presented  it  to  the 
o£Scial  in  charge  of  the  documents.  "  But,  monsieur,"  said  the  latter, 
"  this  permit  is  in  the  name  of  the  archivist.  It  is  impossible  that 
the  documents  should  be  copied  by  another." 

The  question  of  restricting  the  uga  of  documents  dated  before  a 
certain  year  is  a  difficult  one,  and  one  as  to  which  there  is  a  con- 
siderable difference  of  opinion.  I*;  involves,  among  other  things,  in 
the  case  of  public  documents  the  policy  of  governmental  departments, 
and  in  the  case  of  private  documents  restrictions  imposed  by  the 
donor. 

Prof.  Charles  M.  Andrews,  writing  of  the  British  archives,*  draws 
a  lesson  for  American  archivists  from  the  restrictions  placed  for  half 
a  century  by  departmental  authorities  upon  the  Public  Record 
Office.  Records  were  turned  over  to  the  Record  Office,  but  official 
red  tape  placed  arbitrary  limits  upon  their  use  by  the  public. 
"  Such  dates  as  1759,  1779,  1780,  etc.,  have  in  the  past  marked  tha 
limit  beyond  which  the  searcher  could  not  go,  except  by  personal  ap- 
plication to  the  individual  department "  In  1909,  as  the  result  of  the 
recommendations  of  an  interdepartmental  committee,  the  restrictions 
were  removed  and  the  documents  submitted  to  regulations  framed 
by  the  custodians  of  the  Public  Record  Office.  Mr.  Fitzpatrick,  of 
the  Library  of  Congress,  emphasizes  the  importance  of  Government 
documents  being  transferred  to  the  archive  bureau  only  when  they 
are  officially  dead. 

Cuotrol  oyer  such  papers  [he  adds]  is  undesirable,  for  there  can  be  no  right 
nor  claim  of  historical  investigator,  not  legitimately  overriden  by  adminis- 
trative need;  and,  where  thia  need  continues  to  exist,  its  Interference  would 
result  in  practically  transforming  the  archive  bureau  into  an  adjunct  of  the 
department  from  which  the  files  came.* 

■American  HUtorical  AnoeUtion,  Ano.  Rep.,  Itoa,  8S0. 
■Notes  on  the  Care,  etc  •t  Ifanuicrlp*'*.  S. 


824 


AMUUCAH  HUTOUOAL  A8S00IATI0V. 


Ii  it  possible  or  dennibU  to  lix  a  uniform  date  for  the  tnnafer 
of  OoTemment  documents?  European  practice  in  this  regard  ii 
becoming  more  generous.  It  is  said  that  the  French  ministry  of 
foreign  affairs  permits  the  use  of  its  archives  to  February,  1848, 
and  the  Archives  Nationales  communicate  documents  that  are  60 
years  old.  The  Public  Record  Office  in  London  has  fixed  the  year 
1840  as  its  limit  In  the  Dominion  archives  at  Ottawa  documents 
are  available  down  tb  the  year  of  confederation,  1867.  Various  other 
dates  obtain  in  different  countries,  depending  upon  historical  and 
other  considerations.  Of  course,  in  near'y  all  en? os  serious  students 
with  suitable  credentials  can  obtain  access  to  documents  of  a  later 
date  if  they  possess  the  necessary  patience  and  perseverence  to  press 
the  matter  through  the  proper  channels. 

As  to  a  ibced  date,  one  finds  a  considerable  difference  of  opinion 
even  among  competent  authorities.  Mr.  Leiand,  for  instance,  says^ 
that— 

while  a  chronological  ilend  line  Is  convenient,  especially  for  the  archivist.  It  maj 
be  questluneO  If  It  Is  not  better  to  decide  each  case  npon  Ita  own  merits.  It  ia 
clear  that  certain  kinds  of  material  can  safely  be  communicated  to  within  very 
recent  times.  Why,  then,  should  they  be  withheld  because  other  material  can 
not  l>e  communlcatet!? 

Prof.  W.  L.  Grant,  of  Queen's  University,  Kingston,  Ontario,  sug- 
gests the  adoption  of  a  definite  date  of,  say,  75  years  from  the  present, 
documents  of  later  date  to  be  available  under  suitable  restrictions. 
Prof.  C.  R.  Fish,  speaking  of  the  Italian  archives,*  brings  up  another 
point.  He  urges  the  desirability  of  a  uniform  date  being  agreed 
upon  for  the  transfer  of  documents  from  the  various  departments  to 
the  archive  authorities. 

The  question  of  subjecting  investigators  to  oversight,  requiring 
them  to  submit  their  notes  to  an  attendant,  etc.,  is  one  that  is  viewed 
from  widely  different  angles  by  archivists.  Mr.  Fitzpatrick,  who 
voices  no  doubt  the  p  »licy  of  the  Library  of  Congress,  says: • 

Consultation  of  manuscripts  should  be  allowed  only  In  the  presence  and  under 
the  constant  observation  of  the  archivist  or  his  assistants. 

He  tak  s  the  view  also  that  in  the  case  of  confidential  documents 
subject  to  restrictions  the  archivist  must  see  the  notes  or  copies  made 
therefrom  by  the  investigator;  that  application  for  use  of  a  docu- 
ment fihould  be  made  in  writing;  and  that  the  application  should 
state  the  purpose  of  the  investigation. 

On  the  other  hand.  Prof.  W.  R.  Shepard,  writing  of  the  Spanish 
archives,*  says: 

But  the  greatest  boon  of  all  to  the  worker  In  the  Spanish  archives  Is  the  total 
absence  of  censorship.    Either  a  manuscript  is  supplied  along  with  an  absolute 

•American  Htitorical  AgBoclatton,  Ana.  Bap.,  ItM,  S47. 

•  Ibid.,  8S5. 

■Notes  OB  tko  Car*,  etc.,  of  lUauicrtpta,  6. 

<  American  BUtortcal  AMoeiaUoa,  Abb.  B^.,  IMt.  8SS. 


oovFUBiroB  Of  HnroBiOAL  •oomms. 


SSft 


rliht  of  eopytng  or  of  pbotograpbiag  Itt  eootmta,  or  It  la  ■Impty  withheld  from 
tho  ontwt  NoTor  la  tho  vezatloua  ozperlanco  nadtrgono  of  havlni  aome  choico 
puaago  blm-paDcUad  and  the  labor  of  the  eopylat  azpwded  In  Tain  becaoae  of 
aoma  petty  regulation  devoid  of  aenaa  or  reaaon. 

The  viewa  and  practice  of  a  number  of  repreientative  archivisto 
and  Ubrariana  on  this  continent  may  be  briefly  lununarized: 

Mr.  B.  R.  Harlan,  of  the  UUtorical  Department  of  Iowa : 

liking  reaaonable  care  that  each  applicant  la  one  worthy  of  confldenca,  bo 
reatrlctlona  are  placed  upon  hla  use  of  the  materlala  ao  long  aa  they  are 
not  removed  from  the  room  In  which  they  are  examined. 
Mr.  Hanaon,  of  the  library  of  the  Unlveralty  of  Chicago : 

I  haTe  aeen  ao  much  carelcaaneaa  and  Ignorance  of  tbe  aimpleat  aaft«uarda, 
eren  on  the  part  of  prominent  profeoaora,  that  I  am  convinced  of  the 
neceaalty  of  atrlct  aapervlalon ;  at  any  rate.  In  the  uac  of  original  mano* 
acrlpta. 
Mr.  Langton,  library  of  the  Unlveralty  of  Toronto: 

If  the  reader  or  consulter  Uvea  In  Toronto,  we  require  him  to  nao  our 
material  In  the  Ubrary  building,  and.  In  the  caae  of  particularly  valuable 
material.  In  one  of  the  rooma  occupied  by  the  eUff.  ao  Uiat  he  may  be 
under  obaervatlon. 
The  New  York  State  Ubrary : 

Placea  no  reatrtctiona  upon  the  liberty  of  atndento  consnltlng  manuscrlpta 
except  that  nnrraaarj  for  the  proper  preaervation  and  guarding  of  auch 
manuacrlpta, 

*  Connecticut  State  Library: 

We  have  insisted  that  the  manuacripta  be  used  In  the  immediate  presence 
§  of  aaalatanti. 

Mr.  .Belden,  of  the  Maaaachusetta  State  Library : 

The  only  restriction  la  that  the  volumea  or  manuscrlpta  should  be  used 
under  proper  aupervlslon  by  one  of  the  members  of  the  library  staff, 
and  that  In  caae  the  volume  or  manuacrlpt  la  brittle  or  torn  because  of 
age  that  the  library  aasistant  should  handle  the  same. 
Mr.  Carlton,  of  the  Newberry  Library : 

Manuscrlpta  and  other  rare  material  ahould  be  consulted  and  used  only 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  the  regular  custodian  of  the  room  or 
department,  who  la,  or  should  be,  an  expert. 
Dr.  Owen,  of  the  Department  of  Archives  and  History  of  Alabama : 

The  State  archives  are  open  to  the  public  without  restriction  other  than 
their  use  in  conformity  to  the  usual  office  regulaUons  aa  to  examination 
In  the  presence  of  an  attendant,  etc. 

Mr.  Robinson,  of  the  Department  of  History  of  South  Dakota : 

No  restriction  whatever  has  been  placed  upon  the  use  of  our  material  by 
.  students,  except  that  ordinary  prudence  which   protecto  rare  matter 

T  from  Injury  or  loss. 

£  Mr.  Brlgham,  of  the  Iowa  State  Library : 

I  My  reluctant  Judgment,  drawn  from  experience  with  students,  is  that  one 

cannot  aafely  turn  them  loose  among  books  or  papers  of  value,  for  I 
have  known  not  a  few  who  seem  to  be  lacking  In  conscientiousness  In 
the  matto'  of  autograph-collecting  or  print-collecting  who  apparently  are 
otherwiae  boneat  It  would  seem  to  me  beat  to  supervise  a  atudent'a 
namlnatlon  of  papers  and  make  a  note  of  papwa  turned  over  to  him. 


AimiOAjr  HItI0U04L  AMoounov. 


Dr.  O.  B.  Locke,  of  tbo  Toronto  FiibUe  Library : 

I  sbould  certainly  put  rwtrtctioiH  npon  tlM  liberty  of  atudeota  eonaultliic 
manuacrlitta.  liy  experience  baa  led  ma  to  believe  tbat  about  one  In 
aeren  of  aacb  InrebUgatora  really  knowa  a  little  about  tackllni  aucb  a 
Job  aa  a  collection  of  manuacrlpta.  The  reat  wear  out  tbe  material  and 
gain  nothing. 

A  few  words  aa  to  credentials,  age  limit,  hours  for  work,  imple- 
ments, and  other  facilities.  The  rule  as  to  credentials  of  the  New 
York  Public  Library,  manuscript  division,  is  as  follows: 

Persona  dealrlng  a  card  of  admlialon  to  the  manuacript  division  should  make 
a  written  an>llcatlon  to  tbe  Director  of  the  library,  specifying  name,  address, 
profcaalon,  or  occupation,  and  tbe  purpoee  for  which  admlaalon  Is  desired. 
Such  application  should  be  made.  If  pMalble,  at  least  two  daja  In  advance, 
and  muat  be  accompanied  by  a  written  recommendation  from  aome  person  of 
known  ponltlon. 

In  the  British  Museum  an  applicant  must  be  vouched  for  by  a 
property  holder.  The  Library  of  Congress  requires  a  written  appli- 
cation, and  favors,  though  it  does  not  apparently  demand,  a  letter 
of  introduction.  Yale  University  and  i^<.v,  eral  other  institutions  re- 
quire identification.  The  Dominion  Artiiives  and  many  other  simi- 
lar bodies  demand  nothing  in  the  way  of  credentials.  In  the  Eu- 
ropean archives  an  introduction  is  generally  necessary;  if  a  for- 
eigner, from  the  diplomatic  representative  of  his  country. 

As  to  an  age  limit,  the  rules  of  the  manuscript  division  of  the 
New  York  Public  Library  provide  that  "no  person  under  18  yean 
of  nge  will  be  admitted  to  the  manuscript  research  room."  In  most 
institutions  the  matter  is  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  custodian. 

The  general  rule  as  to  hours  for  research  work  seems  to  be  that 
students  have  access  to  material  whenever  the  institution  is  open  to 
the  public.  In  the  Dominion  Archives  a  research  worker  may  ob- 
tain access  to  his  material  after  the  regular  hours.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  Newberry  Library  closes  its  manuscript  and  rare  book 
department  at  6  p.  m.,  the  librarian  taking  tbe  view  that  such 
valuable  material  should  not  be  consulted  except  under  the  super- 
vision of  experts. 

The  use  of  pen  and  ink  in  copying  manuscripts  has  generally  been 
nought  objectionable.  Mr.  Fitzpatrick,  speaking  of  the  proper  use 
of  such  material,^  says : 

It  must  not  be  touched  with  either  pen  or  pencil  point,  and  copying  should 
be  with  pencil  if  possible,  as  the  open,  dripping  inlcwell  is  a  constant  menace  to 
tbe  document.  The  fountain  pen  la  only  less  objectionable.  With  some  well- 
meaning  but  awkward  individuals,  however,  the  pencil  for  copying  or  making 
notes  is  all  that  can  safely  be  permitted. 

The  rule  of  the  New  York  Public  Library  is  that,  excepi  in  very 
special  cases,  pencils  must  be  used  in  copying  or  taking  notes. 

■  Notes  on  the  Cue,  etc.,  of  Hanntcrlpts,  6. 


ooxrsuiroB  or  uutobical  ■oomiM. 


827 


1 

3 

I 

i 


In  the  Swediah  archivM  than  it  no  reitriction  in  the  um  of  ink, 
the  only  rule  being  thet  the  itudent  must  not  rait  his  notes  on  tlie 
documenti  while  making  ezoerpts. 

Thia  brings  lu  down  to  the  queiticm  of  the  photostat  A  good  deal 
has  already  been  said  aa  to  the  manifest  advantagea  of  cooperation 
in  the  exchange  of  copiea  of  manuscripts  by  archive  bureaus  and 
librariea.  A  word  or  two  may  be  added  as  to  the  value  of  the 
photostat  in  this  connecti(«,  and  for  other  purposea.  The  photostat 
supplies  an  unqueaticmable  duplicate  of  the  original  manuscript, 
infinitely  preferable  to  the  work  of  even  thf  most  painstaking 
copyist.  Think  for  a  moment  what  the  world  haa  lost  in  the 
destruction  of  great  collections  of  manuscripts,  even  in  modem 
times,'  and  how  incalculably  richer  we  would  have  been  had  photo- 
graphic oc^ies  of  these  documents  been  supplied  to  other  insti- 
tutions. 

Mr.  Paltsits,  speaking  of  the  **  Tragedies  in  New  York's  Public 
Records,"  *  says : 

The  lost  record*  give  risa  to  aartoua  raflectlona  In  as.  There  ate  eaaea  la 
which  we  most  depend  wholly  upon  aoma  printed  or  contemporary  or  Iat« 
transcript,  the  Kccnracy  of  which  c«n  no  loofar  be  aacertainecl  with  corUinty, 
bejaoaa  the  original  la  either  loat,  mntUatad,  or  decayed  from  neglect.  Too 
often  the  key  of  truth  haa  periahed,  leaving  tia  only  the  nncwtaln  premiaas 
that  are  afforded  by  Incompleteneaa. 

Cases  will  occur  to  each  one  of  us,  within  oar  own  experience,  of 
incomplete  stories,  missing  links  in  a  chain  of  historical  facts,  due 
to  the  loss  of  one  or  more  indispensable  documents.  How  we  would 
have  blessed  the  man,  or  his  memory,  who  could  have  been  far- 
sighted  enough  to  deposit  authentic  copies  of  these  manuscripts 
in  some  other  institution  before  his  own  went  up  in  smoke. 

Nor,  finally,  is  the  value  of  the  photostat  confined  to  its  use  in 
providing  an  absolutely  correct  and  trustworthy  copy  of  original 
manuscripts.  As  Mr.  Leland  points  out  in  his  article  on  the  ''Appli- 
cation of  Photography  to  Archive  and  Hintorical  Work"* 

It  is  alao  of  service  in  the  reatoratlon  of  partially  destroyed  documenta  or 
when  it  is  desired  to  aacertaln  the  original  wording  of  docnmenta  that  hava 
been  modified  by  wasnres.  The  artificial  lens  Is  so  moch  more  powerful  than 
that  of  the  eye,  and  the  photographic  plate  Is  to  such  a  degree  more  senslttvo 
than  the  retina,  that  much  that  Is  invisible,  or  at  best  quite  illegible  to  the 
vision  even  when  aided  by  a  glass,  la  easily  made  out  In  the  photographic  copy. 

The  photostat  furnishes  alao  the  means  of  preserving  facsimiles 
of  documents  that  have  begun  to  disintegrate. 

>  Sm  CbroBolotlcal  Sketch  of  the  DeetrnetloB  of  Libraries  by  Fire  la  AaelMit  aa4  Meden 
Times,  In  Report  of  Library  Aeaociatton  of  the  United  Kingdom,  1879,  140-154 ;  and 
article  tqr  B.  B.  Poole  on  the  isme  snbjeet  In  Beport  of  U.  8.  Oomnlaslooer  of  Mneatiaa. 
1892-«S,  pt  8.  724-720. 

*  AaMricaa  HUtorteal  AMocUthm,  Asm.  Bap.,  1909,  8Tt. 

•  Aaericaa  HIatorieal  AaMcUtten,  Aaa.  Bap.,  190S,  I,  1S4. 


828 


AMKUCAW  BMTOUOAL  AMOCUTIOIT. 


One  word  more,  m  the  preacher  saith,  ftnd  I  huve  done.  Mr. 
HMuon,  of  the  library  of  the  University  of  Chicago,  contributea 
the  intereating  auggeation  that,  aa  all  atudenta  do  not  fully  realize 
the  importance  oi  preaerving  original  documenta  or  appreciate  their 
duty  to  coming  generationa,  it  might  be  a  oafe  rule  to  place  before 
them  photostat  copiea  inatead  of  the  originals,  at  any  rate  in  the 
eaae  of  peculiarly  valuable  manuscripts.  "  I  rather  think,"  he  adds, 
"that  we  may  have  to  come  to  this  more  and  more,  not  only  in  the 
use  of  manuacripta  by  studenta  but  in  their  exhibition  or  display." 


